Cat Internal Clock ...a cat behavior and built in dinner bell

When I saw the "cat internal clock" of my brood not reacting
much to the time change, I was reminded that when we changed the clocks
from Standard Time to Daylight Savings Time, that I had done a smart
thing...so I patted myself on the back.

What I did was start changing
the meal times gradually so that I would be in synch with their internal clocks when the time changed. The cats had been fed around 8
a.m. and 5 p.m. so I slowly, over the period of a couple of months,
moved them ahead a minute or so a day until they ate at 9 a.m. and 6
p.m. Max and Chanel#5 are the main two who seem to be clock-watching.

Perhaps they were the neediest when we brought them into our household. A
cat internal clock can vary somewhat from cat to cat and I always
wondered how my cats figured out the time.

Cats have a built in biological cycle, a cat internal clock, that guides many aspects of its life. These cycles are like internal "timers" set a different times. High-frequency rhythms last for less than 30 minutes and control activities such as heart and respiration rates. Ultradian rhythms
which are responsible for changes in body temperature and appetite are
timed to last longer than 30 minutes but less than 20 hours. Circannual rhythms are seasonal and affected by light. This one governs changes such as hair growth and mating patterns.

Our indoor cats adjust readily to changes so we have to look at
cats in their natural state in the wild. Since homeless cats are
exposed to the elements year round it's not surprising that they go
through more marked seasonal adjustments than their domestic
counterparts.

The main seasonal change is not temperature but exposure
to daylight known as photoperiod. As the photoperiod decreases
in late summer, outdoor cats living in northerly regions grow longer
hair in readiness for the chill of winter's arrival.

Another seasonal change influenced by the photoperiod is the female cat's sexual cycle called estrous cycle. Unspayed female cats are seasonally polyestrous.
For about 9 months out of the year, they go through estrous cycles
where they are receptive to males, but during the 3 month period from
October through December when the photoperiod is shortest, females
usually stop cycling.

The photoperiod also influences the hunting cat's timetable. Hunting
cats typically are most active at sunrise and sunset when they have
hunger. As days become shorter prey animals adjust the timing of their
activities to coincide with their cat internal clock. When homeless
cats feel the bite of winter and food is more scarce, cats conserve
their energy when not seeking food by going to sleep.

Homeless cats that live in close proximity to people don't necessarily
follow nature's rules. A study done years ago showed that cats moved
their peak of activity from sunset to 1 a.m. to avoid contact with
people and dogs. Cats are flexible and can adapt the cat internal
clock. They are not dominated by their biology.

Located in the hypothalamus, the area of the brain that regulates your cat's eating and sleeping patterns and sexual activities...is a cluster of cells called the suprachiasmatic nucleus
(SCN). Scientists believe the SCN plays the role of a master
biological clock keeping rhythms performing as they should. The
controller of this master clock is light.

When light plays on the
retina at the back of the eye it stimulates a chemical reaction that
sends electrical signals along a pathway of nerves (the retinohypothalamic tract)
to the SCN. This dedicated pathway provides the biological clock with
light/dark information.

This pathway is distinct from the pathway that
sends visual information from the cat's eyes to the areas of its brain
that control vision. Therefore, even a blind cat can still tell the
time of day.

The domestic cat, unlike the homeless cat, lives in an environment
where there is light, heat and lots of food year round so its body has
adjusted to a world of no seasons. However, Mother Nature isn't
entirely fooled. You may notice that your cat's coat gets a little
longer in the winter and it tends to shed a little all year long.

The electric light in your home artificially increases the winter photoperiod but it can't compensate for the decrease in daylight hours. If your cat is a good sleeper you may not notice the extension of his sleep time. A good selection of cat vitamins...to help Mother Nature are available at sites such as Only Natural Pet - Everything Natural for Dogs & Cats